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Explosions Are Main Cause of Spine Injuries in U.S. Soldiers

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

FRIDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Explosions are the main cause of spine injuries among wounded U.S. military personnel, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed more than eight years of data on back, spinal column and spinal cord injuries suffered by American military personnel serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Of nearly 11,000 evacuated casualties, about 600 (nearly 5.5 percent) had a total of more than 2,100 spinal injuries. Explosions accounted for 56 percent of spine injuries, motor vehicle collisions for 29 percent and gunshots for 15 percent, the study found. In 17 percent of spine injuries, the spinal cord also was injured. Fifty-three percent of gunshot wounds to the spine led to a spinal cord injury. The study also found that 92 percent of all injuries were fractures, 84 percent of patients' wounds were the result of combat and spinal injuries often were accompanied by abdomen, chest, head and face injuries. [See:No Wait at the ER] The findings, published Sept. 19 in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, are an important first step in helping orthopedic surgeons develop treatment plans for military personnel with spine injuries, as well as for civilians with similar injuries, according to the researchers. "In … Continue reading →

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How walking to a beat could help relieve symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 11:22 EST, 21 September 2012 | UPDATED: 11:22 EST, 21 September 2012 Walking to a beat could give more freedom of movement to patient's with Parkinson's, say scientists Walking to music could help patients with Parkinson's disease, according to new research. A study found healthy individuals improved their gait after undergoing trials in which they moved in step to a beat. Scientists believe the same technique could improve the symptoms of patients with the disease which causes shaking and problems getting about. They say their findings published in PLOS One show the potential of auditory, visual and tactile cues in the treatment of victims of such conditions. Engineer Dr Ervin Sejdic, of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues analysed the effects of various mechanically produced beats, known as 'metronomic stimuli', on fifteen adults. The volunteers, aged between 18 and 30, took part in two sessions consisting of five fifteen minute tsts in which they walked with different cues. The first was at their preferred speed, and then they were asked to walk to do it to a specific rhythm produced by way of visuals, sound or touch. Finally they walk with all three cues simultaneously, … Continue reading →

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Vanderbilt University and Bristol-Myers Squibb Sign Collaboration Agreement to Develop Novel Treatments for Parkinson …

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

Newswise Vanderbilt University and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) announced today that they have signed a collaboration agreement for the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies acting on the mGluR4 glutamate receptor, known as positive allosteric modulators or PAMs, for the treatment of Parkinsons disease. Under the collaboration, the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (VCNDD) will identify drug candidates from their existing program, which obtained major support from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research (MJFF). Bristol-Myers Squibb will have the right to develop and commercialize products resulting from the collaborative research program. Under the terms of the agreement, Vanderbilt University will receive an upfront payment and multi-year research funding to continue to discover additional compounds. Vanderbilt is eligible to receive milestones and royalties based on developmental success and worldwide sales of the drugs emerging from the collaboration. The agreement brings to focus Vanderbilts mission as a leader in scientific discovery and partner in innovation with world class companies such as Bristol- Meyers Squibb, while furthering the Universitys role as an economic engine for Middle Tennessee. The long-term commitment of and collaboration with the MJFF were critical to advancing this program to the stage where it is now … Continue reading →

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Three healthcare innovations that are changing the sport of football and injury treatment

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

Graston Technique stainless steel instruments The fact that football, like soccer, is a concussive sport was underscored when earlier in September the National Football League said it was donating $30 million for brain injury research to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. Yet several efforts have been made to make football a less dangerous sport or at least one where action can be taken quickly if there is any evidence of injury. Here are two. Concussion Screening Tests Just five years ago, screening tests that provide a baseline reading for how an athletes brain is functioning wasnt available, said Keith Cronin, a St. Louis, Missouri,physical therapist and center manager at SSM-Select Physical Therapy. The ImPACT test is used by many hospitals, including Cincinnati Childrens Medical Center, Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital and University of Chicaho hospitals; several NFL teams including Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and the New England Patriots and other professional sport teams; and sports medicine centers around the country. Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue MobilizationThis kind of therapy is to treat injuries like tendinpathies, diseases of the tendon like tendinitis and tendinosis, and allows the athlete to keep moving despite the injury. For instance, the Graston Technique uses stainless … Continue reading →

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Kessler Foundation scientists awarded New Jersey grants for brain injury research

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

Public release date: 21-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Lauren Scrivo lscrivo@kesslerfoundation.org 973-324-8384 Kessler Foundation WEST ORANGE, N.J.Two neuroscientists at Kessler Foundation received grants from the New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research. Helen Genova, Ph.D., research scientist in Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research was awarded a three-year Individual Research Grant totaling $462,103. Starla Weaver, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Research, received a three-year Fellowship Research Grant for $199,764. Kessler Foundation conducts cognitive and mobility rehabilitation research in brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke and multiple sclerosis. Nancy Chiaravalloti, Ph.D., director of Traumatic Brain Injury and Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research, commented, "We are pleased to have the support of the Commission for these important studies. Expanding our knowledge of how TBI affects brain function will help us to devise more effective strategies for cognitive rehabilitation." Dr. Genova is interested in the long-term cognitive dysfunction that can cause disability after brain injury. While some recover over time, a significant number of individuals show continued impairment and even progressive cognitive decline. The identification of an accurate and reliable predictor of cognitive outcome would help to guide patients and families through the recovery process, but such a predictor … Continue reading →

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New MS Treatment Shown to Reduce Relapses

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

Two phase 3 clinical trials have shown that oral doses of a drug called BG-12 show significant and clinically meaningful reductions in multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses and brain lesions in people with a relapsing form of MS. The active ingredient in BG-12 is the compound dimethyl fumarate. The trials, which were published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, were financed by Biogne Idec, a biotechnology company that creates drugs for neurological and autoimmune disorders. The company is seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment. The publication of both dimethyl fumarate pivotal studies in NEJM is another achievement for this important investigational therapy, said Dr. Katherine Dawson, senior medical director at Biogen Idec Neurology Research and Development and co-author of the published studies. The data from its clinical development program consistently indicate that dimethyl fumarate may provide tangible benefits and address existing treatment needs of people living with MS. We are working closely with regulatory authorities across the globe with the aim of making the review of dimethyl fumarate as quick as possible. The two studies found that both twice-a-day and thrice-a-day 240mg treatments with BG-12 reduced the proportion of patients with relapsing-remitting MS who … Continue reading →

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Midlander helps spread awareness about ataxia at Detroit Walk and Roll

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

Denise Keyser said she had no clue what ataxia was when first diagnosed with the disease by her neurosurgeon. I had no idea what he was talking about, the Midland resident said. Until I started trying to walk, and I would randomly fall. Ataxia.org says ataxia is a group of degenerative diseases connected with the nervous system, the hereditary and sporadic ataxias, which cause a lack of coordination that can affect the fingers, hands, arms, legs, body, speech and eye movements. Keyser was diagnosed after she went through brain stem surgery in May 2011. On Saturday, she will be walking in the Detroit Walk and Roll with her husband and daughter to help raise awareness about ataxia. Ataxia can affect anyone at any time, said Michael Parent, the executive director of the National Ataxia Foundation in a news release. Many times people do not know that they carry an ataxia gene until they have children displaying signs of ataxia. There are about 150,000 people in the United States who are diagnosed with ataxia, and to help spread the word about the disease and find a cure, an annual International Ataxia Awareness Day was created by the National Ataxia Foundation in … Continue reading →

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Herbal Menopause Supplement Often Contains Other Species, DNA Bar Coding Reveals

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

Genetic analyses found herbs similar to black cohosh were being sold in commercial preparations of the popular remedy, possibly explaining mixed results and casting doubt on supplement label accuracy By Katherine Harmon A pure pill? Some black cohosh pills sequenced did not contain black cohosh at all, but rather entirely different plant species. Image: iStockphoto/OlgaMiltsova Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way... Read More When hormone replacement therapy was found to put some menopausal women at increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, many went in search of safer treatments to decrease their symptoms. In the ensuing decade black cohosh has won out as an overwhelming consumer favorite, now reaping millions of dollars in sales each year. But controlled trials of this supplement have seen mixed results, sometimes showing it to be effective in relieving hot flashes, sleep disruptions, mood swings and other symptoms whereas other times revealing it to be ineffective. And some case reports even suggest that it can be toxic, damaging the liver. This messy track record gave Damon Little, a bioinformaticist at The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), … Continue reading →

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Chimerix Presents Data Highlighting Burden Of Care Associated With Current Antiviral Therapies In Stem Cell …

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Chimerix, Inc., a biotechnology company developing orally-available antiviral therapeutics, today announced data highlighting the significant morbidity and resource utilization associated with the current standard of care for the management of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. This analysis, entitled "Preemptive Therapy (PrT) for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Post-hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT) is Associated with Significant Morbidity and Resource Utilization," was presented at the 52nd Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC, September 9-12, San Francisco). Morbidity and Resource Utilization Associated with Preemptive Therapy Preemptive therapy is the initiation of antiviral therapy in the presence of viral infection. Chimerix's presentation highlighted adverse effects (AEs) experienced by patients who received preemptive therapy and were treated with currently available antiviral agents, including valganciclovir, ganciclovir, foscarnet and cidofovir. A retrospective analysis of data from 71 patients who received preemptive treatment of CMV infection showed that the majority experienced at least one significant AE. These AEs included: Of these patients, 18% had life-threatening AEs, including bacterial infections, cytopenias, and hemorrhages, and 23% had an AE that required hospitalization. While the currently available antiviral agents are associated with significant adverse events, including cytopenias, … Continue reading →

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Einstein Hosts Its First Stem Cell Institute Symposium

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

Newswise September 21, 2012 (BRONX, NY) The promise of stem cells seems limitless. If they can be coaxed into rebuilding organs, repairing damaged spinal cords and restoring ravaged immune systems, these malleable cells would revolutionize medical treatment. But stem cell research is still in its infancy, as scientists seek to better understand the role of these cells in normal human development and disease. On Friday, September 14, the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University offered the Einstein community and invited guests an opportunity to hear from leading stem cell scientists investigating the dynamic field. The 2012 Einstein Stem Cell Institute Symposium featured speakers from around the globe presenting the latest research on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), cell reprogramming, as well as cancer and hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells. This symposium was an important milestone for stem cell research at Einstein and confirms our intent to contribute to advances in stem cell biology, said the events host and organizer, Paul Frenette, M.D., director and chair of Einsteins Stem Cell Institute and professor of medicine and of cell biology. There has been a lot … Continue reading →

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